Chuck & Sarah Versus the Not So Empty Nest
by Imagination-Parade
Summary: Sarah's determined to cheer up Chuck the morning after Morgan officially moves out by showing him the positive side to living by themselves.  They're not as alone as they think they are.


_Hello readers! So I considered not posting this story. I'm kind of embarrassed by it due to the fact that, while I do read M-rated fics, I almost never write them. But since the _Chuck_ powers that be seem determined to never give us a real Chuck & Sarah sex scene (dream sequences in "Chuck Versus Phase Three" don't count!) and since I actually quite like how this turned out, I decided to get over myself and write/post it anyway. Sorry it's a little long!_

_That being said, _Chuck_ is not mine, and please review!_

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><p>The house was quiet now that Morgan Grimes was gone. That was the thought that filtered through Chuck Bartowski's mind as he dragged his feet into the kitchen to make breakfast. Morgan was the life of the apartment in the mornings. Sarah was certainly no morning person, and Chuck was often perfectly content to remain in bed with her for as long as she deemed passable, so Morgan was almost always the first to rise. Chuck usually wandered down his hallway to find a kitchen full of commotion (Morgan was a noisy chef) or an early morning round of Call of Duty. Today, Chuck wandered down his hallway to silence.<p>

He pulled out the ingredients to make a pancake breakfast for himself and the beautiful spy who had oh-so-reluctantly dragged herself out of bed just a few minutes before, the sounds of a muffled radio down the hall serving as the only soundtrack to his Wednesday morning. The radio clicked off only a few minutes after it had begun, sending Chuck back into a morning of silence. Chuck sighed. The house was just too quiet now that Morgan was gone.

Sarah Walker stepped out of her bedroom and confidently sauntered down the hallway, determined to cheer up her man. Morgan had officially moved out the previous afternoon, after Chuck's many failed attempts to get him to change his mind and stay, and Chuck had been pretty depressed ever since. The day had ended with Sarah holding a sad Chuck in bed, softly rubbing his back to soothe him to sleep. She had hoped that a good night's sleep would lift his mood, but when her morning began with nothing more than a tiny peck on the cheek and a mumbled promise of pancakes, she knew something had to be done before he spent the entire day on the couch with his hand in a bucket of his favorite cheesy snacks. She knew Chuck would miss his best friend, and she had to admit that she would miss having Morgan around, too, but Sarah Walker knew that living alone could certainly have its benefits.

Sarah quietly tip-toed up behind Chuck when she reached the kitchen. Not realizing she had joined him, Chuck lightly jumped when he felt her warm arms snake around his waist from behind. She didn't say anything, so he simply smiled and continued to work on breakfast, waiting for her next move. Chuck froze and closed his eyes as he felt her rise to her toes to sensually trace the outline of his ear with the tip of her tongue.

"Hi, Chuck," she whispered.

"Morning," he replied.

When he still didn't turn around, she ran one of her hands against his t-shirt clad chest and placed a long, sucking kiss on the base of his neck. Chuck closed his eyes again and groaned. She smiled in satisfaction and began kissing around his neck, finally settling her wandering fingers against his stomach.

"Someone woke up in a _mood_ this morning," he said in a teasing tone.

Sarah flicked her tongue against his ear lobe, letting out a little moan as she gently nibbled on it. "Maybe," she giggled. She slipped her hand underneath his shirt and touched his bare skin. Sarah smoothed her hand against his chest and placed a hot, wet kiss on the sensitive skin behind his ear. "What do you think?"

After whispering her question in his ear, she dropped down from her tip toes and slid her hands to his boxer-clad hips. Chuck sighed, getting ready to tell her he just wasn't feeling up for it this morning.

"Sarah, I hate to tell you no, but…" he said, reaching a hand behind him to touch her. "I just don't know if…"

He abruptly stopped talking when the hand that had reached back behind him came into contact with bare skin. He experimentally touched up and down the part of her side and back that he could reach from their embrace. _Lots_ of bare skin.

She grinned again and deviously looked towards the back of his head. "Something wrong, Chuck?" she teased.

"What are you…" he started. Chuck unraveled himself from her strong embrace and turned. His mouth dropped open and he looked her up and down. "Oh…hey-oh…"

Sarah smiled sweetly. "Hi, Chuck," she said again.

"What are you doing?" Chuck asked.

Sarah stood before him in a set of black lace lingerie so tiny and so nearly sheer that she may as well have been wearing nothing at all. She spun around slowly in the middle of the kitchen, shamelessly flaunting what he was about to turn down.

"Do you like it?" she asked in a seductive tone, looking at him almost the entire time she spun. "I bought it just for you, Chuck."

"Yeah, that's…" Chuck muttered. "That's…that's _good_."

Sarah stopped spinning, stepping into him, and placed a short kiss to his lips. He watched as she walked to the end of the kitchen and hopped up onto the counter, scooting forward until she settled herself at the very edge. She smiled a wicked smile at him, and, using her legs, she pulled Chuck to her, spatula and all, until he was nestled firmly between her strong thighs. Chuck looked bewildered as she wrapped her legs around him, pressed her body against his, and let out a small moan.

"Sarah…" Chuck started.

"I know you're sad about Morgan leaving," she said, slowly and comfortingly stroking his chest. "But sweetheart…you're forgetting something."

"What's that?" Chuck asked.

She tilted her head slightly and looked him in the eye. "Chuck," Sarah said. She curled a hand around his cheek, brought his face down to hers, looked him in the eye, and whispered against his lips. "We live _alone_."

Sarah closed her eyes and leaned her mouth forward, expecting her declaration to end in a searing kiss, but Chuck pulled back slightly, brushing his nose against hers.

"I know what you're doing," Chuck whispered against her mouth.

"What am I doing?" Sarah asked in an almost taunting tone.

"You, Sarah Walker, are trying to seduce me again," he accused.

She locked eyes with him for a moment before dropping her gaze to his lips, their warm, mingling breaths heating the atmosphere around the nearly-entangled couple. "Is it going to work?" she asked.

He teased her some more, leaning in as if he were about to really kiss her and pulling back slightly again. She slumped a bit in frustration, and he shot her a grin. "Heck yes," he said.

Chuck dropped the spatula into the sink and gripped Sarah's face, bringing her mouth to his and threading his fingers through her hair. Her lips parted on a sigh, and he slipped his tongue into her hot mouth, pulling her body as close to him as he could without pulling her off the counter. Her hands went around his neck and into his hair, gripping the dark strands for stability. Chuck moaned as Sarah tugged on his hair, and she reciprocated when Chuck tenderly bit her lip as he pulled out of their passionate kiss. He leaned right back in, their tongues playfully teasing each other, eliciting smiles from both partners before their lips fused together again. After a few minutes of heated making out, Chuck pulled away slowly.

"Chuck?" she asked, panting slightly.

He was smiling at her. "Do you have any idea how long…" he started, leaning in to nibble on her neck as he flirted with her. "How long I've fantasized about fooling around on this counter?"

Without missing a beat, she huskily replied, "About as long as I've fantasized about you taking me against the front door over there?"

Chuck pulled back to look at her, intrigue filling his now darkened eyes. "Really?" he asked. "We could've used the bedroom door."

She chuckled a bit and shook her head. "Not the same thing, Chuck," she grinned. "We'll save that for another day, just…kiss me again."

Chuck dove back in, kissing her deeply, moaning against her lips as she lightly began rocking against him. He untangled his fingers from her silky blonde hair and caressed down her body until he cupped her lace-covered breasts in his hands. He ran his thumbs along the curve of her breasts and began rubbing circles against her nipples through her bra. Sarah slid her hands from his hair to his neck and kissed him harder as the lace scratched against her sensitive skin. A few seconds later, when they began to feel like they couldn't continue to both kiss each other and breathe in enough oxygen to survive, Chuck broke their kiss, dropping his hands to her hips.

Before Sarah could protest the loss of his touch, she felt his warm, wet tongue against her breast. He swiftly licked her a few times before he closed his lips around the light brown skin, sucking her through the lace of her bra. She tilted her head back in pleasure and writhed against him.

"Oh, god, Chuck," she groaned.

Chuck gently nipped at her with his teeth, and she gasped, grasping onto the counter for support. He placed one last soothing lick against her breast before kissing along the edge of her bra, tongue dipping just beneath the lace, on his way up to her neck. She grabbed the hem of his t-shirt, pulling it up and over his head. Tossing it to the floor, their mouths met again in a hungry kiss, Sarah's hands roaming all over his bare, tanned back. Separating on a moan, Chuck's lips began to make their way back down her body to give her other breast the same treatment he had given its twin, but before he could reach his destination, the smoke alarm in their kitchen began going off.

"What the…" Sarah started. She took a moment to take in her surroundings and asked, "What is that smell?"

"Oh, _crap_, breakfast!" Chuck said.

He slipped out from between her legs and pulled the smoking skillet off the stove. He threw the skillet and the now extraordinarily burned pancakes under the faucet and waved a newspaper near the smoke alarm to get it to stop beeping. He looked at Sarah, who hadn't moved from her place on the counter, save for clutching her ears with her palms to block out the noise. She dropped her hands to her sides when the beeping stopped.

"I was making you blueberry pancakes," Chuck said, gesturing to the container of blueberries and the small bowl of pancake batter by the stove.

She smiled and thought about it for a moment. "That sounds really good."

"Yeah," he said, moving back over to her. He placed his hands on the counter, one on each side of her, and she grabbed his sides. She watched him carefully as he leaned into her and said, "Too bad I got so _distracted_. I wonder whose fault _that_ is…"

Sarah grinned and curled a finger around her chin, pretending to ponder that thought. "Hmm…" she murmured. Sarah dropped the façade a moment later, let out a small guilty giggle and said, "I guess you'll just have to make me more."

Chuck lowered his voice and whispered, "I think I'd rather eat _you_."

Sarah's eyes widened slightly. It wasn't often that he said something so intentionally dirty to her. Her Chuck could be quite the talker, but dirty talk wasn't exactly his forte, so it was always a surprise when something like that slipped from his lips. She placed a small kiss on his lips, hopped off the counter, and said, "Blueberries first. Then me."

Once her back was turned, he grabbed her ass and walked around her so they were face-to-face. He planted a firm kiss to her mouth and mumbled, "Is that a promise?"

She moaned and replied, "Absolutely."

Sarah leaned against the counter, popping blueberry after blueberry into her mouth while Chuck made her another batch of pancakes. After he poured the batter into the pan, Sarah walked up behind him again and began kissing his back.

"Sarah," Chuck said, closing his eyes as he felt her breasts press into his skin. "Do you really want a repeat of ten minutes ago?"

"You didn't put your shirt back on," she muttered, tracing a few inches of his spine with her tongue. "I couldn't resist."

"Did you _want_ me to put my shirt back on?" he teased.

"Don't you dare," she whispered, clutching his sides. "I like looking at you."

True to her word, Sarah stood from her place at the dining table and picked up the empty plates as soon as they were finished eating. She put the plates on the counter behind the table and slid up onto the table top next to where Chuck was sitting. Sarah swung one of her legs over his head, resting her feet on his shoulders, leaving her straddling his face. She leaned forward and captured his mouth in a searing kiss, tasting the sweetness from the blueberries and maple syrup on his lips. Pulling back slowly, she placed her hands on the table behind her and leaned back, tantalizingly tilting her hips towards him.

"As promised," she said in a sultry voice.

"God, you're incredible," Chuck said.

Chuck leaned forward and grabbed onto her hips, looping his thumbs into the black lace of her panties. He turned his head and kissed from her ankle to her knee and quickly maneuvered the delicate lace down her pale, smooth legs. Once they had been tossed aside, Sarah's breath quickened in anticipation. Chuck simultaneously pulled Sarah towards the edge of the table and moved himself to the edge of his chair. Her legs stayed draped around him, her knees now hooked over his shoulders. Chuck's eyes met Sarah's just for a second before he leaned in.

Sarah moaned as soon as she felt his mouth on the most intimate part of her. His breath and his mouth felt soft and warm, and he hadn't yet shaved that morning, so the slight stubble on his face felt rough and delicious against her sex. Sarah opened her eyes after several minutes to look at Chuck, his face buried so perfectly between her legs in the middle of _their_ apartment. Being so exposed in what had always been considered the _public_ part of their home excited her.

"_Yes_," Sarah breathed.

Chuck looked up at her, love glimmering in his deep brown eyes, and shot her a grin. Sarah balanced herself on one hand to lovingly run her fingers through his thick hair, wordlessly telling him that she _loved_ what he was doing and begging him not to stop. Chuck hit a particularly sensitive area, and Sarah's hand flew back behind her as she almost fell down onto the table. He chuckled against her, the vibrations from his laugh making her tingle. Chuck leaned back in his chair.

"Couch?" he asked.

Sarah nodded. "Please."

"So…for the mental checklist…kitchen table – fantastic in theory, not as fantastic in execution," Chuck said, sliding his chair back, letting Sarah's legs slip off his shoulders.

"Oh, speak for yourself," Sarah said, her face flushed. "You'll just have to get up here with me next time."

Chuck wiggled his eyebrows at her as he stood before her. "Next time, huh?" he whispered, quite enjoying the sound of that.

"We live alone," Sarah reminded him, winking at him.

Chuck laughed. "Is it going to be this much fun when our kids move out and leave us alone again?"

"Kids?" she laughed, shooting him a look.

"You know I want a kid, right?" he asked delicately.

"Yes," she smiled, pulling a folded-up string of condoms from her back bra strap. "But we're not going to get started on that today, so you're going to have to suit up…once you've finished what you've started, that is."

She pressed the foil packages into his chest, and he chuckled, unraveling them to see how many she had brought from the bedroom with her. He dangled the string of wrappers in front of her face.

"Exactly how lucky do you think you're getting this morning?" he teased.

"Not that lucky," she admitted. "But better safe than sorry."

He laughed, holding the foil packages in his palm. Chuck swept his hand under her ass and lifted her off the table. She began kissing his neck as soon as he began moving towards the couch. That's when the phone rang.

"Ignore it," Sarah said, reaching behind her back to unfasten her bra. She slipped out of it and threw it across the room, leaving her naked in Chuck's arms.

"Planning on it," Chuck mumbled.

He tossed the condoms onto the coffee table before smoothly tossing the blonde in his arms onto the couch. She sat on the edge of the couch as he knelt in front of her, and they quickly met for a few hot kisses, tongues and teeth clashing together as they devoured each other. The phone finally stopped ringing as Chuck helped Sarah sling her legs across his shoulders again. He was just about to get started again when the answering machine clicked on.

"Chuck?" Ellie's voice filled the apartment. Chuck immediately shot back from his place between Sarah's thighs. Ellie continued, "Chuck, come on, I really need you, and I know you're there. I can see both your cars parked out front."

"What's wrong?" Sarah whispered to Chuck, as if Ellie could hear her.

"I can't do _that_ while my sister is…_no_!" Chuck shuddered, covering his ears.

Sarah shot Chuck a devious grin as Ellie said something about a broken phone and needing Chuck's help as soon as possible. Chuck, his eyes firmly fixed upon the beautiful spy in front of him, watched as she caressed down her own body, deciding to take matters into her own hands. She let out a little sigh of pleasure, her eyes sparkling about as much as the ring on the finger that was dancing across her skin.

"You are an evil woman," Chuck gasped.

Sarah grinned, intentionally putting on a little show for Chuck as Ellie said something about wanting him to come over as soon as he heard the message. Chuck took over again the second the machine beeped with the end of Ellie's message. Sarah moved in time with his strokes as she slipped closer to oblivion.

"Oh, Chuck, yes…" she moaned. "Almost…keep…_yes_."

Sarah almost screamed when someone knocked on the door. Chuck's eyes met hers.

"Don't even _think_ about it," she whispered sternly, knowing she was only a few seconds from getting what she wanted if he would just put his mouth back where it had been.

There was another knock at the door. "Chuck! Sarah! Anyone home?" Awesome called. Chuck looked up at Sarah again. Sarah shook her head no. "Come on, guys!"

"You are _not_ coming until I do," Sarah said.

Chuck nodded and leaned in, massaging her with his fingers, tongue, and lips. A few seconds and she shattered, her legs going rigid against his shoulders. Sarah moaned in pleasure and relief, forgetting about the man standing outside of their door just a few feet away.

Awesome knocked again, much more slowly this time. "Uh…guys…what are you doing in there?" he called in a very knowing tone.

"_Ignore_ him," Sarah breathed. "He'll assume we're not here and go away."

"He heard you moaning, sweetheart," Chuck laughed. "I'm pretty sure the entire complex knows we're here."

Sarah groaned and swung her body onto the couch, still trying to catch her breath. "You're just _that_ good," she sighed.

Chuck leaned over her and placed a kiss on her lips. He stood, tossed a blanket over her naked form, and wrapped a second one around himself. He made sure Sarah was covered and opened the door just a bit, keeping his lower body hidden as best he could, not wanting to make an awkward and embarrassing situation even worse.

"Good morning, Devon. What can I do for you today?" Chuck asked, the delivery of his words dripping with fake pleasantries.

He knew full well what had been happening behind the door, but upon noticing that Chuck wasn't wearing a shirt, Awesome glanced around him to see the blanket-clad Sarah breathing heavily on the couch. He grinned.

"Early morning nookie on the couch," he nodded. "_Awesome_."

"It's trying to be!" Sarah called in her best 'now, _scram_' voice.

"Now I know why you didn't answer Ellie's call," Awesome said. "I approve."

"Ah-huh," Chuck confirmed. "What do you need?"

"Oh, Ellie's freaking out about her phone. Clara has a pediatrician appointment in three hours, and a bunch of Ellie's baby charts are saved on this thing," Awesome said. "She was going to bring it over herself, but Clara got hungry, and I don't have the required equipment, if you know what I mean."

"Devon," Sarah said sweetly. She sat up, clutching the blanket against her chest. "If you leave Chuck the phone, I promise he'll have it back by the time Ellie needs it."

"Oh, right," Awesome said, passing Chuck the phone. "Sorry, bro!"

"That's…okay," Chuck said, placing Ellie's phone on the small table by the door.

"You kids have fun," Awesome said, winking at them before heading back across the courtyard.

Chuck shut and locked the door, purposely banging his head against it a few times before turning to Sarah. She stood, leaving the blanket on the couch, grabbed one of the condoms, and walked towards him. Chuck let his blanket fall to the ground as she placed the foil wrapper between her teeth and eased his boxers down his legs. Once he was naked, Sarah pulled the condom out of her mouth and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as they fell into another round of passionate kissing. She loosely slung one leg up around his hips after a few minutes of just kissing, and he immediately caressed up her thigh. Chuck cupped his hands around her bottom, and she hopped up, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Door?" Chuck asked suggestively.

Sarah chuckled. "No, Chuck, that fantasy involves a hot dancing date and a sexy dress pushed up around my waist because you _just can't wait_ to get me undressed and into bed," she said. She glanced behind her and said, "Chair."

He carried her to the chair and sat down with her in his lap. She sat on his thighs and pushed the condom down around him before she rose to her knees and smiled. He kissed her and helped her ease herself down onto him as their lips danced together. His hands locked together against the small of her back, holding her firmly against him, and she clutched his cheeks as they kissed. They looked into each other's eyes as she began moving. Chuck smiled as her eyes fluttered open and closed, and he brushed some hair away from her beautiful face.

"God, you're gorgeous," Chuck breathed.

She smiled; Sarah kissed his neck and stroked his chest, paying no attention to the sound she thought she heard outside their front door, and Chuck softly moaned, whispering how amazingly good she felt into her ear. They pulled back and locked eyes again and got lost in each other, focusing on only the sensations coursing through their veins.

"_Whoa_! Whoa!" a voice called from the hallway. This startled exclamation was followed by a very enthusiastic, "_Duuuuude_!"

Sarah gasped and crossed her arms over her chest, covering her breasts. She slipped herself off of Chuck, and he instinctively pulled her to him in an attempt to shield as much of her body as he could from their intruder's eyes.

"Morgan, what the _hell_ are you doing here?" Chuck called.

Morgan Grimes stood in the hallway, his back turned to the couple in the living room. He had turned around immediately upon realizing what was happening, but one hand covered his eyes anyway. "The one morning Alex actually asks to play video games with me, and I realize I left my second controller here," Morgan said. "But wow, you two didn't waste any time mourning my loss, huh? Where else have you been doing it since I left?"

Sarah made this face as if to say she couldn't believe Morgan was still there and still talking, and she buried her face into Chuck's shoulder.

"How did you get in?" Chuck asked.

"Front door was locked, so I used the Morgan door," he shrugged. Morgan turned, his eyes still covered, and thrust out his hand. "I'm just going to get my…"

"Get _out_!" Chuck called.

"Fine, okay, I can take a hint. I'll come back and get it later," Morgan said, turning back around. "But dude, just be glad it was me who caught you doing the nasty in the living room. Beckman could've popped in with her next mission for Team Charah, and I'm betting that would be a _whole_ lot more embarrassing."

"Team _what_?" Sarah whispered.

"Team what?" Chuck asked.

"Oh, Casey said this thing the other day," Morgan said. "It was during that mission…"

"_Morgan_!" Chuck yelled, sensing the beginning of a long story.

"You know what…I'll talk to you later," Morgan said, heading back to the Morgan door. "As you were!"

Chuck waited a few moments before affectionately rubbing Sarah's back. "He's gone, honey. You can come out." Sarah groaned into his neck. "Are you okay?"

"A year and a half of living together and Morgan accidentally sees me naked the day _after_ he moves out," Sarah whined.

"Yeah, he pretty much killed the mood, didn't he?" Chuck sighed sadly.

Sarah spent another couple moments buried in the safety of Chuck's neck before picking her head up to rejoin him. She leaned towards him, and they spent the next few minutes smooching in the chair.

"I don't think we should give Morgan the satisfaction of ruining our lovemaking. Do you?" Sarah said, reaching between them to stroke him. Chuck shook his head, his eyes slipping shut in approval.

When Chuck was ready to resume what they had been doing, he picked her up again, intending to lay her down on the couch. Unfortunately, after all of the teasing she had been doing with her hands, his legs weren't quite as stable as he had anticipated, and they ended up on the floor by the couch, Chuck on top of her. He felt Sarah's body start shaking beneath him.

"Is that crying or laughing?" he asked nervously.

He leaned up on his elbows to find that Sarah was laughing so hard she was having trouble breathing. Chuck joined in, her laugh infectious, and the couple lay on the floor, bodies tangled together, laughing for what seemed like an eternity.

"What's so funny?" Chuck finally asked.

"This is just…" she laughed. "_So_ far away from the steamy, sexy romantic morning I had envisioned."

"And you're usually so good at seduction," he teased.

Her mouth dropped open in fake offense. "My seduction was _flawless_," she insisted, her laughter finally beginning to dissipate. "Things started deviating from what I had pictured _after_ we left the kitchen table."

"Oh, you mean you _didn't_ plan on everyone we know deciding to come visit?" he joked.

"All I wanted to do was cheer you up," she said.

"This was to cheer me up?" he chuckled.

She started laughing again, this time at the clueless little nerd that she so loved and adored. "You didn't get that, sweetie?" she asked between her giggles.

"I thought you were just…really horny," he muttered.

This admission sent Sarah into another fit of hysterical laughter. Chuck, even more turned on by the sight and sounds of Sarah laughing so unabashedly, stroked down her body and kissed her cheek before sliding himself back into her. She gasped at the unexpected feeling of Chuck inside her again but kept right on laughing, seemingly unable to stop. Sarah playfully nipped at his lips between giggles, and he chuckled right along with her, returning her lighthearted kisses.

When her giggles finally subsided, she found his warm brown eyes with her cool blue ones. They took several seconds to just look at one another. Sarah adoringly caressed his cheek, and they fell into gentle, amorous kisses, pouring all their love for one another into the soft smooches. The pace of their lovemaking slowed as playfulness gave way to something much more tender. He ran his hands along her sides as she stroked his neck.

"I love you," she quietly said, looking into his eyes.

"I love you," he said, leaning down for another kiss.

Chuck's hand slipped down her body after a few minutes of warm kissing and peaceful lovemaking. His pace had quickened a bit, and he tickled her stomach on his way down her skin. She broke away from the kiss on a laugh and playfully punched his arm.

"Ow!" Chuck exclaimed.

"Oh, please, I barely touched you," Sarah grinned.

Chuck tickled her again in retaliation. Her laughter, however, turned into a moan as he slipped his hand down to where they were joined and kissed her hungrily. Sarah unraveled beneath him, arching into him, grasping his hair, his name on her lips. Chuck let go before the pulsing of her orgasm had ceased, and he leaned into her, chanting her name into her ear. Sated, he collapsed against her, breathing strongly into her neck. His hot breath tickled her skin, and she held him against her.

"That more like what you had in mind this morning?" Chuck asked.

"Not at all," Sarah laughed. "But you're perfect."

After some cuddling, some frenzied kissing, and a sweatier, steamier, shorter, and more successful second round actually _on_ the couch this time, Chuck sat on the floor, his back pressed against the couch. Dressed only in his boxers, he worked on Ellie's phone, having had to listen to her earlier message twice in order to find out what was actually wrong with it. Sarah, covered by only a blanket thrown across her middle, lay on her back on the couch, playing with Chuck's hair as he worked.

"So you wanted to cheer me up, huh?" Chuck asked.

"Well, you were just so sad last night," Sarah said. "I wanted you to see that living alone could be fun and not just lonely."

Chuck laughed. "After this morning, Sarah, I don't think you need to worry about me feeling lonely."

She grinned. "So you're okay with our not-so-empty nest?"

He turned to kiss her and said, "Wouldn't have it any other way…but we need to remember to lock the Morgan door."

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><p><em>Thanks so much for reading! <em>


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